How To: Host Your Own Baller Raclette Party

Some people say the holidays are the best part of the winter months, but we’re all about that late-year influx of Alpine cheeses. Raclette is one of our favorites by far, a versatile washed-rind cow’s milk that can add a little oomph to your grilled cheese or warm you up on a cold night in its traditional namesake dish. It might be a bit confusing — the dish you make with Raclette is also called Raclette and the grill goes by the same moniker — but it makes sense once you know that the French word for “scrape” is “racler.”

No? Not helpful? OK, we’ll break it down for you — Follow the guide below to impress your friends this holiday season, or just to enjoy as a treat for yourself on a cold winter night!

Don’t have the goods? Easy – stop by the shop to pick up the necessary tools & ingredients orsimply click & ship one of our Raclette Starter Kits straight to your doorstep.

BALLER RACLETTE PARTY GUIDE

Gather your ingredients.

The creamy, umami flavor of Raclette pairs tastily with briny things that cut through the richness, salty things, and carbs to balance the silky texture of melted cheese. We recommend the classics:

When thinking about drinking, the Swiss will only drink booze with Raclette: kirsch, beer, or wine. No water allowed! We recommend a light red or a dry, crisp white wine to cut through all the fatty deliciousness, like the super refreshing bottle of Mont Gravet Côtes du Gascogne we’re drinking with ours.

2.Meet your maker.
Traditionally, Raclette is prepared using a half wheel of cheese, under a large heating apparatus (or even a quarter wheel). A little too much for you? Yeah, thought so.

We prefer our smaller Date Night Raclettes (pictured up top), since they’re the perfect size for two people. Gather as many as you need for your crew!

3. Prepare your cheese wedges.Hop on over to your local cheese shop to pick up the best quality cheese you can find – since you’re just melting (not cooking), you want maximum flavor. We’ve got Vermont’s delectable Reading Raclette in stock on our counter right now as well as the uber-traditional Raclette du Valais. Once you’ve selected a Raclette, slice into thin slabs or cut the cheese (literally) into meltable cubes. Place the slabs or cubes on one of our handy Date Night Raclettes and set aside.

4. Accompaniments, assemble!Set out all your accompaniments that don’t need cooking and slice your bread – aka, get your mise en place set up. You’ll want them ready to go once the cheese is melted, so don’t wait until after cooking to do this.

Also, very important to pour yourself a glass of wine at this point in the prep – because why not?

5. Get cookin’.
Boil the fingerling potatoes in salted water until fork-tender (soft enough to bite through).
As they boil, heat up the Date Night Raclette maker and use the mini scraper to help stir the cheese until it reaches gooey perfection. You want to ensure that the cheese heats evenly. Strain the potatoes and slice.

6. #TreatYoSelf.You’re ready to enjoy! Once the cheese is bubbling nicely, scrape the melted cheese off the pan and onto pieces of bread (now do you get where the name comes from?) or dunk your meats, potatoes, and briny goods directly into it. Polish off that bottle (or two) of wine. Go ahead. You deserve it.